Chapter VII

With a blasting roar the girl's robot lunged, and Alcoran sprang forward to meet the attack. It was a nerve shattering impact, like that of two armored pre-historic monsters engaged in a death-struggle.

Behind the metal men, both Lucero and Verdugo maneuvered for position, their atomo-pistols blazing a path through scientific instruments and furnishings as they fired over and around the struggling robots. The awesome din of the gigantic battle was deafening, as the compartment was slowly converted into shambles.

Once Alcoran managed to grip the leg of Lucero's robot and the latter went crashing against the vivisection table, instantly pulverizing it. But with a leap that carried it half across the vast alcove, the robot charged Alcoran like a battering-ram and driving him into the Tele-Magnum room with the impetus of his leap. The explosion of shattered tubes and crashing metal, the singing hum of ripped berlyloy and pulverized plastuco, was drowned by the clang and thud of the gigantic bodies as they strove to wrench each other apart.

And now, only the litter-strewn floor was between Lucero and Verdugo, the latter oozing blood from a seared shoulder where an atomoblast had touched. Deliberately she aimed her atomo-pistol, even as the surgeon simultaneously raised his, but her blast only disintegrated a fulgurant on the ceiling, while Verdugo's fatal pencil of violet light speared an empty spot, for at that instant the hurtling form of Alcoran spewed from the alcove, barely grazing the girl, but such was the terrific force of his passage that it knocked her spinning against the wall where she collapsed.

Behind Alcoran, hurtling like an avenging angel, Lucero's robot came charging with but one thought--destruction.

"Alcoran!" It was Verdugo shouting hoarsely at his creation, now spread-eagled on the floor. "Run, follow me!" He dived for the passageway as Alcoran, damaged as he was, his brain shaken by the terrific concussion arose and sped after him.

At the sight of the fallen girl, Lucero's robot checked his rush, hesitated and finally bent over her. He raised the still form as if it were a feather and stood for a moment as if trying to cerebrate. Finally it deposited her with infinite care on the couch where Verdugo had slept. Then it began to search what cabinets had not been destroyed, for a stimulant.

It found the decanter of Thassalian, that miraculously had escaped destruction; gently opening the girl's mouth the robot poured a few drops down her throat. Just then Mark Lynn and Palanth burst into the room. Shamble was before their eyes. Mark went white with apprehension and leaped to Lucero's side, but the robot placed a formidable metal hand against the earthman's chest and growled:

"Back, Terran! Come no nearer!"

* * * * *

Palanth slid toward them atomo-pistol in hand, just as Mark drew his. But at that moment Lucero opened her eyes and groaned softly.

"Mark!" There was a universe of gladness in her cry. She waved a limp hand toward the robot. "This is Mark Lynn and the other's Palanth--your masters also, obey them."

The robot stepped back and Mark kneeled at her side. "Are you hurt, my darling?" Lucero shook her head and tried to smile.

Palanth turned to the robot. "Tell us what occurred in detail," he commanded. Thus it was that from the metal lips they heard the entire story with photographic accuracy, as far as he had seen.

"I might have known they'd have one last counter-check," Mark reproached himself. "I should never have left you!"

"Who could have foreseen this?" Lucero raised herself on an elbow. "Even I had no idea that Verdugo was with us, not to speak of his bringing one of the only two ultra-specialized super-robots in existence. We'll have to work very fast, Mark! There's nothing, literally nothing, that Alcoran cannot accomplish in a scientific way, provided he has the materials--Verdugo may even have him build a Tele-Magnum and communicate with the Council!"

"But where's he going to get materials, my dear? A Tele-Magnum is a tall order!"

"I don't know.... But I do know that Verdugo has the mind of a fiend and the skill of a genius, and Alcoran's a triple-synthetized brain, and under Verdugo's control!"

"We'll deal with the surgeon," Palanth's voice was deadly.

"And we shall deal with Verdugo and his scientists," came the quiet telepathic thought.

Both Mark Lynn and the Martian turned seeking its source, and saw framed in the doorway to the alcove, the silver-furred figure of the Panadur leader.

"That was the agreement," the Panadur added after a pause. "Thousands of my people await without to carry him away."

Lucero's robot took a step forward tentatively and then gazed questioningly at its mistress, and suddenly a wave of energy from the Panadur stopped it dead in its tracks.

"The agreement will be honored," Mark acquiesced, "but one has escaped, O Panadur, and Klonos knows where in that maze of rocks and caverns he's now hiding with his super-robot."

"That's our problem, Terran. The agreement was five-hundred, and five-hundred scientists shall we have."

"You will need the fifteen robots immediately," Mark said thoughtfully. "Lucero, my dear, only you can command the robots, so place fifteen under the Panadur's command ... are you able to walk?"

"Of course, I was only stunned." She rose from the couch and left the compartment followed by her ever-watchful metal man. The Panadur seemed to melt away as it glided into the hall.

"And now," Mark addressed Palanth, "we must begin to land the spacers, I have the radio beam. The sooner everyone has been given the sleep-freeze antidote, the better. Internationals first, they are our best fighters, just in case the Council has another trick up its sleeve. Then we must find some way of increasing the spacers' resistance to the disintegrating beam--the alloy used on robots' case shell is the clue--they're impervious to atom-blast. Weather stations next--robots to be detailed on that and machinery stations to turn out mechanical robots and more machinery ... tools, weapons for defense ... we're really fighting for time."

"I know. But even then, I can think of nothing that can stop Terra's fleet if it ever comes to Europa. It's practically invulnerable, or Venus and my own Mars would have shaken off the Council's domination long ago!"

"I have an idea Palanth! It's far from clear, but if it works.... It has to do with radiant energy--even the Fleet couldn't withstand that."

"Radiant energy! Have you lost your mind? Who can control a radiant energy vortex? Besides, we have no means of releasing it. Stop dreaming Mark!"

"It isn't a dream," Mark shrugged wide shoulders. "But come, let's take a look at the scientific exodus--I'm certainly glad to be rid of them, hope the Panadurs can cope with that tribe."

"What do you suppose the Panadurs _really_ want with them, Mark?"

"Probe their minds of course. Panadurs have surpassing intellects, but they have neither tools nor scientific techniques. I suppose they want to learn all they can from our 'sleeping beauties,' in order to achieve their own inventions. Panadurs are thumbless, unable to make tools, thus their development has been purely along mental lines. Since their metabolism requires no food, as they are able to absorb energy _directly_, they have by-passed all domestic arts and sciences."

The steadily increasing noise from the tiers below, had now become a cacophonous din, as more and more Internationals came to life.

* * * * *

The Panadur Leader bending over a scientist for the nth time, probed, delved and searched the innermost recesses of the quiescent brain under the scalpel, but at last he straightened with a baffled expression.

The Europan cavern was a vast catacomb under the glaucous radiance of the radio-active walls that spread a green stela on the faces of the sleeping scientists, flanking the walls in lengthening rows.

The Panadur knew what had been done, he had even tried the delicate process, but the secret of transferring a living brain, minus its personality and the seat of entity, remained unsolved.

Not one of the scientists brought from the _Stellar Virgin_ possessed the secret technique, and many Panadurs had sacrificed themselves in vain as their brains died under the atomo-knife.

Presently the Panadur Leader raised his delicate face, the brilliance of his eyes increased as he turned to face the tunnel that led to the cavern's entrance, then the single thought flashed out: "_Enter!_"

It wasn't long until the silence was broken by the tread of heavy-shod feet crunching the glittering oxide crystals, and Mark entered followed by Palanth. The awful responsibility for three-hundred million lives and the transfiguration of a world, had left its mark on the faces of the two men.

"We bring bad news, Panadur!" Mark said bluntly, in his preoccupation he unconsciously resorted to speech. "One of the space vessels has been looted of vital supplies that can be used for the construction of an interplanetary radio. Verdugo took the opportunity to steal its radio installations with the aid of his robot, while the passengers celebrated their arrival on Europa. If Verdugo builds a Tele-Magnum and contacts the Council, it means War!"

"And war," Palanth seconded, "means the Terran Fleet, against which we are not prepared!"

"When were the supplies stolen?"

"Three revolutions of Panadur on its axis ago--we learned of it today. Enough time for Alcoran to have built an instrument powerful enough to contact the Council on Venus."

"The blame is partly ours," the Panadur telepathed sadly. "We should have captured Verdugo long ago. But it meant wasting lives to imprison that madman ... but now, we have no recourse, the scientist and his metal servant will be brought in. It will solve another problem," he added thoughtfully. "This!" He indicated the trepanned cranium of the scientist on the operating table.

"If you need them, Panadur, you may have every robot in our possession," Mark offered.

For an instant the nearest thing to a smile the two men had ever seen, crossed the features of the strange being of Europa.

"Panadur thanks you, Terran. But we already have built over a thousand robots, half of them have mechanical brains and can be radio-controlled, but the other half, the important one requires a knowledge of Verdugo's technique for transplanting organic brains to metal men. He shall provide that ... personally!"

"Once long ago," Mark spoke meditatively, "you slew an enemy of mine with a volume of energy like a bolt of lightning, then you somehow transferred the latent energy of that being to me. _Could that have been radiant energy?_" He paused. "Could it, O Panadur?"

But the Europan had abruptly interposed an impenetrable barrier between his mind and that of the two men. With an imperious gesture he pointed to the exit of the cavern. Mark and Palanth gazed at each other in bewilderment, finally they left in silence.

As soon as they were lost to view, the cavern began to be filled by a steady stream of thousands upon thousands of silvery Panadurs silently filing in from the inner caverns.

* * * * *

"What in Phobos happened to him?" Mark thought aloud, trying to understand the incomprehensible conduct of the Panadur Leader.

"Don't ask me riddles about this fantastic race of beings!" Palanth exclaimed irritably, waving his handkerchief. "What has radiant energy got to do with them anyway?"

"Just a hunch of mine, Palanth. If the energy they absorb from minerals is radiant energy ... well, we might be able to defy the Terran Fleet itself ... _if_!"

"You still speak in riddles, O Thou specially not wanted!" Palanth lapsed into his usual grandiloquent manner. "At any rate, your idea of fighting the Terran Fleet with radiant energy certainly had a startling effect on that mysterious biped of yours." He pressed still another offensively perfumed handkerchief to his face and eyed the changing landscape of Europa with distaste. It was a raw panorama of great tracts of vivid red soil, exposed by the melting snows; outcrops of glittering rocks rich in minerals flashed in rainbow hues under the powerful ultra-visibility reflectors that were substituting for Terra's Sol. In the near distance, gigantic skeletal structures were a babel of sound, and beyond, the mile-high weather control towers fought steadily the numbing cold.

"Must I explain in words of one syllable so that dubious intellect of yours can absorb it?" Mark asked mockingly. "Well, while asking the Panadur about radiant energy, _I had in mind_ building thousands of tiny spacers out of some of the Spacer Transports that brought us here. These tiny swarms are to be filled with _radiant energy_ and aimed by mechanical robot control directly at the Terran Fleet so that they will explode on contact, annihilating everything in their path. Thus lives will be conserved.... _But the radiant energy must come from the Panadurs!_"

"Too many _ifs_," Palanth replied unconvinced. "However, we can have a fleet of miniature spacers ready before the Council's butchers get within a million parsecs of Europa.

"But without either your damned radiant energy or some explosive that will do what no explosive has ever done before, or ray either, for that matter, the ships will be as useless as ... as a Panadur in a fight!"

"_Build the fleet!_" came the startling telepathic command from the direction of the cavern country.

"He ... _It_ was in contact!" Palanth gazed at Mark Lynn startled.

"He always is," Mark held up the gleaming blue, star-like gem he carried in his pocket. "Probably appreciated your complimentary remark about the fighting qualities of Panadurs. But that's what I wanted to hear him say!" He exulted. "Hold up everything Palanth, and throw all our resources into the building of the miniature fleet."

"Yeah! But let's not forget to get the remaining spacers into shape just in case.... I'd much rather die exploding on a Terran spacer, than trapped like a Martian desert rat on Europa."

"Patience, O Spawn of unfortunate begetting!" Mark taunted his friend with one of the latter's favorite insults. "Everything in good time."

As their Spacer came into view in the distance, Mark increased his speed unconsciously as he thought of Lucero.